Soil and Water Research, 2025 (vol. 20), issue 3
Soil-water characteristic curves and related properties of disturbed forest soilsOriginal Paper
Adela Joanna Hamerníková, Pavel Dlapa, Silvia Ihnačáková, Artemi Cerda, Róbert Kanka, Ľuboš Halada
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):143-152 | DOI: 10.17221/135/2024-SWR 
Forest logging activities negatively affect various soil properties. In this study, we focus on the logging effects on soil water retention and associated pore size distribution. We measured the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) on 21 undisturbed samples from three research plots: a reference area, a clear-cut area and a forest track. A total of 12 SWCC points between saturation and wilting point were determined for each sample with a sand box and pressure plate apparatus. The trimodal behaviour is highlighted by the dependence between soil moisture and suction. Therefore, we proposed a revised model by combining two exponential expressions...
Organic fertilizer and microbial agents increase soil quality and maize yield on coastal saline-alkali landOriginal Paper
Zengjiao Wang, Yin Zhang, Deheng Zhang, Shenghao Zhang, Hongxiang Zhao, Zhen Liu*, Geng Li, Tangyuan Ning
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):153-163 | DOI: 10.17221/123/2024-SWR
To evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer and microbial agents on soil water and salt distribution, microorganisms, and crop yield on coastal saline-alkaline land, eight treatments were established, i.e., two maize varieties (Dajing Jiu 26 (J) and Quchen Jiu (Q)) and four organic fertilizer and microbial agent application methods (no organic fertilizer or microbial agent application (O0M0), single organic fertilizer application (O1M0), single microbial agent application (O0M1), and combined organic fertilizer and microbial agent application (O1M1)). The soil...
Annual dynamics of plant litter calcium and magnesium stocks in a subtropical forest headwater streamOriginal Paper
Weikang Chen, Ling Xiong, Qiqian Wu, Petr Heděnec, Yan Peng, Zemin Zhao, Chaoxiang Yuan, Ji Yuan, Xiangyin Ni, Fuzhong Wu, Kai Yue
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):164-177 | DOI: 10.17221/7/2025-SWR
Forest headwater streams serve as critical interfaces between terrestrial forests and downstream aquatic ecosystems, playing essential roles in the storage and movement of carbon (C) and nutrients. However, despite their importance, our understanding of the dynamics of plant litter calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) stocks within these streams remains limited. In this study, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of plant litter Ca and Mg concentrations and stocks in a subtropical forest headwater stream from March 2021 to February 2022. We found that: (1) the average concentrations of litter Ca and Mg were 9.9 and 0.7 mg/g,...
Multivariate assessment of soil quality across different land use types in the hilly terrain of the subtropics of IndiaOriginal Paper
Jitendra Kumar, Homehswar Kalita, Rajesh A. Alone, Nishant K. Sinha, Alka Rani, Dhiraj Kumar, N. K. Lenka, Rajan Bhatt, Mohamed A. Yassin, Mohamed A. Mattar, Fülöp Attila, Ali Salem, Zoltan Orban
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):178-194 | DOI: 10.17221/6/2025-SWR
The unsustainable conversion of forest areas into agricultural land poses a serious danger to the soil eminence of Arunachal Pradesh’s environmentally delicate hilly topography. Understanding the impacts of this land-use change is crucial for preventing further degradation. This study aimed to develop soil quality indices (SQIs) for different land use types: natural forest (NF), current jhum cultivation (JC), fallow jhum land (FJC), and pineapple cultivation (PA). Samples of soil were taken at a depth of 0 to 15 cm and examined for 22 potential soil quality indicators, with 19 showing significant (P < 0.05) influence from land use,...
Comparison of the cadmium and lead removal from three soils by electrokinetic remediationOriginal Paper
Mei Zhang, Chengdong Duan, Xinfu Wang
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):195-205 | DOI: 10.17221/140/2024-SWR
This study investigated, for the first time, the efficacy of citric acid (CA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as electrolytes in electrokinetic remediation (EKR) for removing lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from three distinct soils (Anthrosols soil, AT; Acrisols soil, AC; and Chernozems soil, CH). Under a voltage gradient of 2 V/cm and a remediation duration of 4 days, EDTA proved most effective for Anthrosols, achieving removal rates of 17.8% for Cd and 12.8% for Pb-lower than those observed for Acrisols and Chernozems, likely due to AT’s high pH background. These results suggest that combining EKR with other remediation techniques could...
Effects of variable rate fertiliser application on selected macronutrients leaching from the ploughed layerOriginal Paper
Jan Vopravil, Pavel Formánek, Ondřej Holubík, Pavel Svoboda, Tomáš Khel
Soil & Water Res., 2025, 20(3):206-217 | DOI: 10.17221/28/2025-SWR
In this study, the effects of standard fertilisation versus variable fertilisation with mineral and organomineral fertilisers on N, P, K, Ca and Mg leaching from the ploughed layer and yields of winter wheat and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were studied. The losses of calcium were the highest, and phosphorus from phosphates was the lowest of all studied nutrients when simulated rainfall and lysimeters were used after the crops were harvested. The use of variable rate fertilisation reduced nitrates leaching in all the studied plots. Nevertheless, leaching of calcium, which is present in higher...